Beyond the traditional: Extending academic libraries’ roles in research integrity based on the causes of research misconduct

Abstract

This paper reports on an ongoing research project aiming to extend the roles of academic libraries in research integrity (RI) based on reexploring the causes of research misconduct (RM) and restructuring the relationships among them. Since the causes of RM have been thoroughly investigated, a systematic review approach was approved valid and adopted in this study. A total of 60 articles were selected and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The analysis pointed to 21 RM causes under four themes: individual, organizational, professional, and cultural causes. Three critical causes stand as the primary connectors among various causes: insufficient RI education and training, lack of explicit rules and regulations, and “publish or perish” pressure. On this basis, three key roles of academic libraries in RI services can be extended: RI educators and counselors, RI policy-making advisors, as well as evaluators of academic outcomes. As one of the earliest research projects that investigate the roles of academic libraries in RI based on RM causes, its findings can provide useful implications for formulating specific RI services in academic libraries.